House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday that he will vote to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, backing a resolution from Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky that could reach the House floor this week. "I'm a hard Yes on the Hegseth resolution," Jeffries said in a televised interview, according to the transcript his office released. "Pete Hegseth has got to go."
In the same interview, the host said Massie had told him he intends to introduce the impeachment resolution as soon as Monday, Nov. 9. Jeffries said House Democrats would discuss it when they reconvene in Washington on Tuesday morning and that he expects "incredibly strong support." He accused Hegseth of abusing his power and of engineering what he called a "reckless and costly war of choice in Iran."
Republicans still control the House until the new Congress is seated in January, so the vote would come in the lame-duck session that follows last week's elections.
What Massie's articles charge
Massie first announced the push on Sept. 15, when he said he would force the House to vote on eight charges. His office's summary lists these:
| Article | Charge |
|---|---|
| I to III | Waging the Iran war in violation of three sections of the War Powers Resolution of 1973, including after both chambers directed U.S. forces' removal |
| IV | Ignoring laws meant to limit civilian casualties |
| V | Replacing maritime law enforcement with lethal strikes on suspected drug traffickers, with at least 221 deaths |
| VI | Using Defense Department authority against Sen. Mark Kelly over his speech |
| VII | Directing the operation that seized Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores in Venezuela |
| VIII | Starting a war in Yemen without congressional authorization |
"By engaging in hostilities in Iran for more than 90 days without congressional authorization, Secretary Hegseth is breaking the law and must be held accountable," Massie said at the time.
What happens if the House votes yes
Impeachment takes a simple majority of the House. Removal from office then requires a trial in the Senate and, under Article I of the Constitution, the votes of two-thirds of the senators present. Republicans also hold the Senate until January.
Late Saturday, President Trump reposted on Truth Social a supporter's post that quoted Hegseth saying "They attack us because we are effective" and urged people to watch "his answer to the people trying to impeach him," according to an archive of the post.
